Thursday, April 27, 2006

A highly practical guide, Earth-Sheltered Houses brings earth-sheltered construction completely up to date for those who want to build their own underground home at moderate cost. It describes the benefits of sheltering a home with earth, including added comfort and energy efficiency, low maintenance, and protection against fire, sound, earthquake and storm. The book covers all of the various construction techniques involved, including details on planning, excavation, footings, floor, walls, framing, roofing, waterproofing, insulation and drainage. Specific methods appropriate for the inexperienced owner-builder are a particular focus and include:* pouring one's own footings and/or floor* the use of dry-stacked (surface-bonded) concrete block walls* post-and-beam framing* plank-and-beam roofing, and * drainage methods and self-adhesive waterproofing membranes.

About the AuthorRob Roy, a former contractor, has twelve previous books to his credit, including Cordwood Building and Timber Framing for the Rest of Us. An expert on underground building, he founded the Earthwood Building School in 1981 with his wife, Jaki, and is frequently a speaker at events throughout North America.